The present invention relates to a device for electrode (as herein defined) positioning for extra cellular recording (hereafter called “electrode positioning device”) of cell activity of the brain and of the nervous system of a human or an animal body, (hereinafter called “brain”). The electrodes are preferably positioned in the XYZ planes for collecting and recording the signals of the cell activity. This activity is afterwards amplified, filtered, sorted and acquired into an acquisition system like a computer memory.
The positioning of the electrodes is important for reaching a specific target in the brain for diagnostic, research and even healing purposes, e.g. for extra cellular recording from the brain and the nervous system as well as in functional neurosurgery. Such electrode positioning devices are known. They consist essentially of a base or an adapter, for positioning the electrodes in the XY plane as well as in a system for positioning them in the Z plane (mounted upon same in a stable manner and connecting means both to the brain and to the signal recording device). This device is mechanically connected so that it can reach the target in the brain from one end and connected to the signal conditioning system on the other end.
There are known many such devices. Most of them have many advantages. However all the known devices have two main disadvantages which make them unsatisfactory in the use thereof. Such devices are, for example:                1. The Alpha Omega System—EPS        2. The Thomas Recording System—Eckhorn        3. The FHC System—Micro Step Multi Drive system        
All these systems have the following disadvantages:                The positioning of the electrodes individually in the XY plane is very complicated and expensive. For each layout of the electrodes a special device is needed with a suitable layout of holes.        The number of channels/electrodes that can be effectively used at once is limited to 32 or less.        
It has thus been desirable to develop an electrode positioning device which does not have said disadvantages. Said device should be easy to manufacture and use and not be too expensive.